Lead roles cast for Lifetime TV Casey Anthony movie

Lead roles have now been cast for the hotly anticipated Lifetime biopic "Prosecuting Casey Anthony," about the Casey Anthony trial and the verdict that shocked the nation.

The film is based on the now-retired prosecutor from the trial, Jeff Ashton, and his best-selling book "Imperfect Justice."

A Central Florida jury acquitted Anthony of murder last year in the death of her daughter, Caylee.

Orlando's WESH-TV says throughout "Imperfect Justice," Ashton paints a portrait of a sometimes psychotic Casey Anthony, a smarmy lead attorney in Jose Baez and a shockingly disinterested jury that didn't believe Anthony should be punished at all.

"We couldn't provide the jury with sort of clear evidence on a silver platter of exactly how Caylee died. What we thought we had done though was to exclude everything but homicide," Ashton wrote.

The Orlando Sentinel reported that Holly Deveaux, an actress who starred in the Canadian series "Baxter " will play Anthony.

The role of Ashton will be played by Rob Lowe. Lowe told TMZ: "It's gonna be interesting ... I think people are gonna dig it ... great script."

Ashton has said he was flattered by the casting. "I wish I had his boyish good looks," Ashton said. "When I told my wife, she asked, So does that mean I'm married to Rob Lowe now?' "

Defense attorney Jose Baez will be played by Oscar Nunez. Nunez, a Cuban-American actor-comedian, plays Oscar Martinez on "The Office." His other credits include"The Proposal" and "24."

"He did a fantastic audition that was so persuasive dramatically," Cross said. She said she was "wowed" by Nunez's "range and ability to channel Jose."

Co-prosecutor Linda Drane Burdick will be portrayed by Elizabeth Mitchell, who played Dr. Juliet Burke on "Lost."

As for Anthony's parents, George and Cindy, are secondary characters. Veteran actor Kevin Dunn of "Transformers" fame will play George Anthony, while the Sentinel said Cindy Anthony has not yet been cast.

Deveaux will be limited in what she can portray because all of Casey's dialogue in the film comes from public records, Cross said. The movie will rely heavily on news footage to give the picture a documentary look, and it won't use re-enactments of Anthony's life, Cross said.

"It's not our intention to make a movie that tries Casey Anthony for the third time," Cross said. "She was tried in court and she was tried by public opinion."